10 ways to use film and TV in teaching

10 ways to use TV and film to make your teaching unforgettable

Students today engage with video content more than ever before. From TikTok to Netflix, audiovisual media has become a central part of how people learn, process information and engage with the world.

Rather than competing with this trend, educators can harness it. When used strategically, TV and film can increase engagement, strengthen retention and help students develop critical thinking and digital literacy skills across disciplines.

For students balancing studies with busy lives, lessons need to be dynamic, relevant and accessible. Multimedia learning isn’t just popular—it’s proven to be effective. It captures attention, supports different learning preferences and helps information stick.

Below are 10 practical, evidence-based strategies for integrating TV and film into your teaching to transform passive viewing into active learning.

1. Spark curiosity with short video clips

Capturing student attention from the start of a lesson is crucial. A concise, well-chosen short video clip can be the most powerful element of a lesson, serving as a strong hook, especially given today’s challenges with decreasing attention spans.

The benefits of using short clips include sparking in-class discussions and challenging preconceived notions, delivering key information efficiently and presenting real-world examples that bring theoretical concepts to life.

The use of high-quality video content demonstrably increases student engagement and knowledge retention by 95% compared to 10% when relying on text-based instructions alone. This method is an effective catalyst for active learning in the classroom.

2. Simplify tough topics with visual storytelling

Videos excel at simplifying complex topics by presenting information in a clear, accessible visual format. The human brain processes information more effectively when it receives both visual and verbal input simultaneously, a phenomenon known as dual-coding. This synergy helps concepts click immediately and provides significant benefits for students, such as grasping theory and abstract concepts faster, witnessing real-world applications and retaining up to 60% more information than with text alone.

For subsequent lessons, consider integrating a short documentary clip featuring CGI or time-lapse footage to explain a challenging topic. Visualising processes transforms abstract theory into direct, accessible knowledge.

3. Encourage active learning with “pause-and-discuss”

If the goal is to convert students from passive viewers to active learners during in-class video watching, the pause-and-discuss technique is a highly effective strategy.

By pausing videos at key moments and introducing a prompt question or task, students are driven to rigorously process and analyse information, leading to 66% higher engagement and better retention of lesson materials compared to uninterrupted viewing sessions.

In short, this technique can truly transform passive viewers into active, engaged learners.

4. Showcase different perspectives through real stories

When students are introduced to real stories through video content, they build empathy, learn about diverse lived experiences and are encouraged to apply critical thinking skills in new contexts.

Audiovisual content that features personal stories lets students step into someone else’s shoes and learn about different realities, connect emotionally with the subject matter and develop a deeper understanding of social, cultural and historical contexts.

Whether it is a documentary following an athlete’s journey or a video exploring the impact of a social issue, personal accounts deliver powerful messages and bridge the gap between abstract concepts and lived experiences, leaving a strong mark on one’s learning journey.

5. Connect learning to real-world contexts

Theory alone is often insufficient. To help students develop a strong passion for a subject, educators must demonstrate its real-world value.

When students see professionals in action, they immediately grasp the practical relevance of their studies.

Using audiovisual content helps to bridge the gap between theory and practice, visualise how knowledge is used outside the classroom and ultimately make the learning experience more dynamic and impactful while developing the future-ready skills necessary for their careers.

6. Develop critical thinking through comparative viewing

In today’s digital landscape, media literacy is an essential skill. Research shows 82% of students struggle to differentiate between real and misleading online content.

The comparative viewing technique can be used to sharpen critical thinking skills and push students to go beyond surface-level consumption of information.

This approach involves simply showing students how the same topic is presented from multiple sources to encourage them to identify bias and framing techniques, analyse how purpose and audience influence content and ultimately recognise misinformation and evaluate sources effectively.

7. Support diverse learning needs

Inclusion is non-negotiable, and audiovisual content is the most versatile tool for building an accessible classroom aligned with the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

When information is intentionally delivered in video formats, it supports all students—including visual learners who thrive on demonstrations, auditory learners who connect through narration, and students with additional needs like dyslexia or ADHD who retain more information through videos than through text-based materials.

This comprehensive, media-rich practice elevates the approach from simply teaching to truly ensuring equitable access and support for every student in their learning journey.

8. Foster creativity with student-generated videos

The SAMR model suggests that student video projects massively increase knowledge retention compared to traditional assignments. Asking students to create their own videos can truly solidify their learning and immerse them in the subject.

Hands-on assignments like video essays, vlogs or presentations help build a series of in-demand skills, including digital competency and practical production skills, communication and storytelling.

Furthermore, having students produce video assignments encourages processing and communicating the materials learnt in a creative and industry-focused manner, connecting classroom theory directly to real-world application.

9. Use audiovisual content to flip the classroom

If the goal is to find an effective way to maximise student participation in lessons, the flipped classroom model is worth serious consideration.

Studies demonstrate that flipped classrooms improve student performance by up to 12% compared to traditional teaching methods.

By assigning videos for students to view before class, they come prepared to explore, analyse and debate topics and notions.

This is an approach that naturally encourages higher curiosity and active participation, improves problem-solving skills and allows more time to facilitate workshops and provide one-to-one feedback, consequently generating a dynamic and interactive classroom environment.

10. Build a library of on-demand learning resources

Curating an on-demand library is the ultimate step that acts as the essential support system for every strategy discussed. This ensures students have the resources they need to revisit and master the material on their own terms.

To truly promote self-directed study and boost information retention, time should be taken to curate a library of high-quality, relevant audiovisuals.

Giving students access to a tailored on-demand library allows them to revisit topics at their own pace for better comprehension, reinforce learning outside of class hours and access reliable information using licensed, copyright-cleared content.

A dedicated resource pool is an invaluable tool for supporting self-directed study and enhancing information retention.

Making it work: teaching with Box of Broadcasts (BoB)

Integrating video into teaching is powerful—but finding, clipping and sharing high-quality content can be challenging.

Box of Broadcasts (BoB) makes it simple.

BoB is a dedicated platform designed to help educators find, manage and share broadcast media for teaching and learning.

Ready to explore audiovisual learning?

If your institution wants to enhance teaching with high-quality, copyright-cleared audiovisual content, Box of Broadcasts can help.

Get in touch below for a free trial and see how BoB can support your teaching strategies.